by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Toronto, ON — Eight C$300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals were in the spotlight on Saturday night (Nov. 15) at Woodbine.

Somebeachsomewhere, the rest nowhere

Pacing superstar Somebeachsomewhere delivered his trademark devastating performance, and then some, on Saturday night in the C$300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for 3-year-old colt pacers.

New Image Media photo

Somebeachsomewhere won his OSS Super Final in 1:50.3.

No other entry in the eight-horse field could come close to touching Paul MacDonell and The Beach, who paced their own race from wire-to-wire, setting fractions of :27, :54.2, and 1:21 on a track rated three seconds off. They crossed the wire to deafening cheers, 11-3/4 lengths ahead of their nearest rival, Keystone Horatio (Randy Waples), in 1:50.3. Trade Editor and Jody Jamieson were a distant third as the rain that had been falling all evening turned to flurries.

A minus show pool of $31,772 was generated from a total of $159,113, some $150,000 of which was bet on the burly son of Mach Three-Wheres The Beach. He paid $2.10 across the board.

This was Somebeachsomewhere’s final start on Canadian soil, and pushed his earnings over the C$3 million mark for trainer/co-owner Brent MacGrath and the Schooner Stables. His final effort will come in the Breeders Crown at The Meadowlands on November 29 (with eliminations, if necessary, next weekend).

Paul MacDonell summed up the experience of driving Somebeachsomewhere for the past two seasons succinctly: “The horse of a lifetime,” he said.

“He is definitely the horse of a lifetime, probably the horse of ten lifetimes,” agreed MacGrath. “I look at the trainers who’ve trained 50, 60, 70 horses their whole lives and never had a horse like this. Maybe we’ve never seen a horse like him.

“The trip he went here tonight was unbelievable. He’s (had) three weeks off, he’s got to be a little bit short. He’ll probably be a little bit tighter next week at The Meadowlands after this race tonight. He just did it on his own — his earplugs are still in.

“I stuck to my guns (with Somebeachsomewhere’s racing schedule) because I wanted the horse to look like he looked tonight, late in the year. It’s worked. You can only go to the well with these horses so often and I chose the races I thought were important for the horse and for the group, and it has worked out.”

Last OSS Super Final to gritty Define The World

On a night of about the most inhospitable weather imaginable, John Bax trainee Define The World claimed the final C$300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final, for 3-year-old trotting colts, rounding out a C$2.4 million program at Woodbine.

Sent off as the prohibitive favorite, Define The World, with Paul MacDonell in the bike, seized the front end and didn’t let go until he crossed the wire in 1:57.4, just a head in front of a determined Sergeant York and Keith Oliver. Two lengths back in third was longshot Striking Rich, with Chris Christoforou at the lines.

Breeder Al Libfeld owns the gelded son of Duke Of York-Venice Holiday, who can now boast 12 wins in 25 lifetime starts. MacDonell also has bragging rights, having emerged triumphant in four of the eight OSS Super Finals.

Nebupanezzar dominant in 2-year-old event

Nebupanezzar ($3.50) kept a solid record of odds-on Super Final favorites intact with a powerful 4-1/2 length win in the C$300,000 2-year-old colt and gelding pacing event at Woodbine.

Steve Condren steered the Bob McIntosh-trained gelding to his 10th win of the season from 14 starts for Peter Pan Stables, Inc. He now has career earnings of C$1,088,050. Stonebridge Terror was second, with Trail Boss third.

The No Pan Intended-Western Wonder pacer cut the mile in 1:55.

Voelz Hanover hangs on in sophomore fillies event

Voelz Hanover ($3.50) took the early lead and never looked back in taking the C$300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final 3-year-old fillies pacing event.

Mario Baillargeon guided the Astreos-Vassar Hanover filly to the wire-to-wire, head victory for his training brother Benoit and owner Richard Berthiaume. Southwind Swallow was second, nearly two lengths in front of Windsong Eva.

Voelz Hanover, who earned her sixth win of the season, established command early through a spilt of :27.2. With steady stride, she cut a :56.1 half-mile. Into the turn, she appeared to draw off, but had to hold off a tremendous Southwind Swallow at the wire in 1:56.

It was her 13th career win for C$662,134 in purse earnings.

“I think we’re going to try the Breeders Crown with her,” said Benoit Baillargeon. “She deserves a chance, she’s been racing really good.”

The Breeders Crown is set for November 29 at the Meadowlands.

Kadealia shocks in final for sophomore trotting fillies

On a night when the odds-on favorites were scoring consistently, longshot Kadealia played the joker when she captured the C$300,000 Final for 3-year-old trotting lasses.

Sent off at odds of 50-1 against the likes of dominant fillies like Bella Dolce, Warrawee June, and Somebody To Love, Kadealia and Jack Moiseyev led wire-to-wire as the snow and wind continued on this blustery night. Paul MacDonell brought Bella Dolce up to challenge at the three-quarter marker, but his filly rolled off-stride, leaving Kadealia to cruise home to win by a length over the helmet-riding Only Lonely (Trevor Ritchie) in 1:59.1. Randy Waples hustled Pasadena Princess up for the show spot, while favored fillies Somebody To Love, Warrawee June, and Whatta Hotty all had breaks sometime during the mile to put themselves out of contention.

Brenda Teague trains Kadealia, a daughter of Kadabra-New Ideal, who had only one previous win on her dance card in 26 tries. The surprise effort has more than doubled her earnings for owner Elmer Fannin.

St Lads Popcorn is fresh and feisty in freshman filly pace

St Lads Popcorn led from start to finish and fended off a strong challenge from Arts Star to capture the C$300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for 2-year-old filly pacers.

Jason Brewer hustled St Lads Popcorn sharply to the front off the gate, while Arts Star, with Mark MacDonald in the bike, stayed hard on Brewer’s helmet through fractions of :27 and :55. Try as they might, however, MacDonald and Arts Star couldn’t clear, as St Lads Popcorn dug down and showed her class, fighting off a second challenge from Icey Breeze (Rick Zeron) and kicking away to win in 1:54.4.

This was the 10th win in 13 starts for St Lads Popcorn, a daughter of Twin B Champ, out of the Northern Luck mare Hot Butter. Most recently, she captured an OSS Gold Final at London’s Western Fair Raceway on November 8. John Darling trains St Lads Popcorn, who was a bargain $5,000 yearling purchase and has pushed her earnings over the C$500,000 mark with this win, for the Jack Darling Stables.

Pointe Of Honour makes his point in 2-year-old colt trot

Paul MacDonell made it two in a row, and Pointe Of Honour showed true grit in capturing the C$300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final for freshman colt and gelding trotters.

MacDonell sent Pointe Of Honour smartly to the front from post six, with Play Right and Mark MacDonald grabbing the second spot through early fractions of :29.1 and 1:00. Just past the half-mile marker, Randy Waples sent Winning Mister rushing up on the outside to overtake Pointe Of Honour, and the pair swept through a 1:29.2 third quarter in that order. Pointe Of Honour wasn’t done yet, however; in deep stretch, MacDonell called on his colt once more and he responded, battling back to win by a length in 2:00.1 in sloppy conditions. Winning Mister held on for second while Hitithard and Mike Saftic moved up for third.

This was the first victory in 11 starts for Pointe Of Honour, who is co-owned by Paula Wellwood and Paul MacDonell and conditioned by Wellwood. He’s a son of Striking Sahbra-Garland Bonita, who more than doubled his lifetime earnings.

Freshman filly trot Super Final to Elusive Desire

Once Elusive Desire got a taste of the winner’s circle, she decided to make a habit of it.

Until Halloween night, victory had been elusive for Elusive Desire, but she finally scored in her 12th start that night in her Ontario Sires Stakes Gold elimination, then followed that up with a win in the OSS Gold final a week later. On Saturday night, she added a third triumph to her scorecard, fulfilling her 2-5 rating by sailing home eight lengths in front of the field in her C$300,000 division of the OSS Super Final.

Paul MacDonell sent the daughter of Angus Hall-Valley Amber to the front early from post number five, with longshot Pajama Land and Jeffrey O’Brien tucking into the pocket, while Easter Bonnet, Stonebridge Diva, and Keep In Dutch all broke stride at/or before the start.(All were ruled by the judges to have had a fair start).

Through fractions of :28.4, :59, and 1:29, Elusive Desire maintained her lead, with Daylon Mystique attempting to challenge on the outside before the three-quarter pole but failing to clear. In the stretch, Elusive Desire showed she had plenty of gas left in the tank and pulled away from her rivals to cross the wire alone. I’ll Wait For You (Trevor Ritchie) stepped up for second, while Cumin First (Rick Zeron) settled for third and Pajama Land rallied for fourth. The time was 2:00.2 on a sloppy track in driving rain.

Mike Keeling trains Elusive Desire for Charles Armstrong, Robert Fasken, and P. C. Wellwood Enterprises. The freshman filly, who was a $65,000 yearling purchase, has now bankrolled nearly C$400,000.